BIDDEFORD — A judge ruled on Wednesday that hundreds of dogs that were seized from a couple's kennel in Buxton last month are now the property of the state.
John and Heidi Frasca, owners of J'Aime Kennel, were accused of running a large-scale puppy mill after police raided their property and seized 249 dogs.
The couple failed to show up at Wednesday's custody hearing in Biddeford District Court, and Judge Christine Foster ruled that the dogs should be placed under permanent state care. The Frascas have three weeks to appeal.
In the five weeks since the raid – the largest at an animal- breeding facility in state history – officials with the state Animal Welfare Program have been testing the dogs for infectious diseases. Court documents filed this week indicate that the animals at J'Aime Kennel had numerous diseases and parasites, some of which are transmissible to humans.
Christine Fraser, an Animal Welfare Program veterinarian, reported that many of the dogs were suffering from a variety of ailments related to poor medical care and hygiene.
Fraser's report said 57 of the seized dogs tested positive for giardia, a parasite that can be passed to humans. Fraser also found that 21 dogs tested positive for sarcoptic mange, a skin disease commonly known as scabies.
Nearly half of the dogs had some form of dental disease, and two had fractures in their front legs that were never treated, leaving the animals with limbs they could not use.
"If not for the animals' being seized and provided medical treatment, many of those found at the kennel, mostly puppies, would not have survived," Fraser wrote.
Fraser said the state will care for the dogs for the three-week appeal period and put them up for adoption when they return to health. That will take at least a month, she said.
Steve Jacobsen, director of the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk, one of the agencies that are helping to care for the animals, said the group is not yet prepared to field requests from people who are interested in adoptions.
At the time of the raid, police issued 14 summonses to the Frascas related to operating an unlicensed kennel, and three more regarding animal cruelty and failure to provide animals with medical treatment.
On Wednesday, York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence said his office is reviewing the evidence to determine whether any criminal charges are warranted.
Acting as their own attorneys, the Frascas filed a notice with the court this week claiming that the legal actions taken against them were corrupt. The judge struck the six-page document from the record at Wednesday's hearing.
"It's a fraudulent court," John Frasca said in a phone interview Wednesday.
The case has drawn the attention of people who are concerned about the well-being of animals, and dozens of volunteers have helped state officials care for the dogs over the past five weeks.
On Tuesday, about 15 people stood outside Biddeford District Court with signs condemning breeding facilities that pursue profits at the expense of animal welfare.
Robert Fisk, director of Maine Friends of Animals in Falmouth, said the state has a comprehensive set of laws to protect animals but the problems uncovered at the Frascas' kennel show the need for more aggressive enforcement.
"It's an important case because of the numbers involved," he said. "It brings out the fact that backyard breeders and puppy mills are a fact of life in Maine that most people don't realize."
Staff Writer Seth Harkness can be contacted at 282-8225 or at:
sharkness@pressherald.com
Reader comments
Click here to view or add comments on this story
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form